Study of Blood Porphyrin Spectral Profile for Diagnosis of Chronic Renal Failure

A combined treatment with erythrocyte lysis solution and Sudan Black B reduces tissue autofluorescence in double-labeling immunofluorescence

The autofluorescence of animal tissues complicates the results obtained using fluorescence microscopy. Many techniques have been used to reduce autofluorescence; however, all these techniques have the disadvantage of reducing the intensity of immunofluorescence staining. We observed the features of autofluorescence in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) vascularized liver and kidney sections and assessed the effects of an intravascular treatment with erythrocyte lysis solution (ELS) before a routine perfusion with normal saline (NS) and Sudan Black B (SBB) treatment after antigen retrieval on reducing autofluorescence reduction and the visualization of antigens to establish an optimal method for reducing autofluorescence. Erythrocytes exhibited bright autofluorescence in FFPE liver and kidney sections, which altered the results of actin and destrin immunofluorescence staining. The SBB treatment significantly reduced background autofluorescence and exerted a moderate effect on reducing the autofluorescence of erythrocytes, and the intravascular ELS treatment eliminated erythrocyte autofluorescence in FFPE liver and kidney sections. A combined treatment with ELS and SBB further reduced autofluorescence but did not decrease actin and destrin immunofluorescence staining in double-labeled FFPE liver and kidney sections. In conclusion, the application of an intravascular ELS treatment before the NS perfusion combined with an SBB treatment after antigen retrieval is a simple and efficient strategy for reducing autofluorescence in FFPE vascularized tissues and can be broadly used in fluorescence microscopy analyses.

Oxidative stress and modification of renal vascular permeability are associated with acute kidney injury during P. berghei ANKA infection

Malaria associated-acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with 45% of mortality in adult patients hospitalized with severe form of the disease. However, the causes that lead to a framework of malaria-associated AKI are still poorly characterized. Some clinical studies speculate that oxidative stress products, a characteristic of Plasmodium infection, as well as proinflammatory response induced by the parasite are involved in its pathophysiology. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the development of malaria-associated AKI during infection by P. berghei ANKA, with special attention to the role played by the inflammatory response and the involvement of oxidative stress. For that, we took advantage of an experimental model of severe malaria that showed significant changes in the renal pathophysiology to investigate the role of malaria infection in the renal microvascular permeability and tissue injury. Therefore, BALB/c mice were infected with P. berghei ANKA. To assess renal function, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and ratio of proteinuria and creatininuria were evaluated. The products of oxidative stress, as well as cytokine profile were quantified in plasma and renal tissue. The change of renal microvascular permeability, tissue hypoxia and cellular apoptosis were also evaluated. Parasite infection resulted in renal dysfunction. Furthermore, we observed increased expression of adhesion molecule, proinflammatory cytokines and products of oxidative stress, associated with a decrease mRNA expression of HO-1 in kidney tissue of infected mice. The measurement of lipoprotein oxidizability also showed a significant increase in plasma of infected animals. Together, our findings support the idea that products of oxidative stress, as well as the immune response against the parasite are crucial to changes in kidney architecture and microvascular endothelial permeability of BALB/c mice infected with P. berghei ANKA.